The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-03
TOBOoGANiNG.
The Origin of tho Sport and Its Phe-
nomonal Growth in Recent Years
"A Healthy and Fascinnt-
ing Sport.

ago the term was comparatively I'M
known in the United States. Indeed,
il is not so very many years ago that
the word could be found outside the
unwritten lexicon of the Indian Ian
guage. Here it appeared in the form
of compound, oda-doggan, which has
been readily Amcricanized into the
more propounceable loboggan. To-
day, however, there is scarcely word
more familiar 10 the lovers of healthy,
vigorous, Out-of-door sports in Canada
and the narthern states of the union.
The History of the toboggan is sim
pie one Its home is Canada, and it is
in this country that the toboggan is
most extensively used, both as means
of transportation and of recreation.
The toboggan seems to date back to an
almost indefinite period in history.
When the Esquimaux first became
known TO the Americans these sleds,
drawn by dogs, were used by them as
their only means of transportation.
The Canadian Indians and the tribes
occupying the far northwest regions of
the continent used them for the same
purpose. The Indians originally fas-
tened the parts of their toboggans to-
gether with deer thongs, and, strange
as it may appear, there are Canadians
to-day who construct them in the same
primitive fashion. Until quite recently
birch and bass were the only woods
employed in their manufacture; but
now maple and hickory have largely
taken their place. Experiments in
steel have even been made, but so far
with uniformly unsuccessful results.
The use of the toboggan, as pas
time, is of recent origin. The Cana
dians first took advantage of the natur-
al slides which their country afforded.
The sport was first introduced in the
vicinity of Quebec, Montreal, Toronto,
aud other cities in the Dominion. The
great difficulty, however, was in secur-
ing slide of perfect grade and smooth
ness, two conditions almost absolutely
Indispensable to the full enjoyment of
tobogganing.
To overcome this objection artificial
slides were suggested. The idea was
probably borrowed from the Russians,
who, notwithstanding the fact that n
large part of their country is fiat and
unbroken, are said to be enthusiastic
tobogganists, even though they are OBJ
liged to depend almost wholly on the
artificial slide for their support
Though proposed by enthusiasts, the
idea proved entirely practicable.
The slide of the Teuque Bleue To-
baggan club at Montreal became ia
nous. The sport was too fascinating
to remain long confined TO one locality.
The towns along the Canadian shores
of the ST. Lawrence soon had their
slides and their clubs. A private slide
was erected in the quaint little town of
Prescott. And the season following
its neighbor just across the river, Og-
densburgh, constructed one of the first
slides in the United States. The Amer
leans lecame as enthusiastic over the
sport as were its orignators, New
England was the first section to thor
oughly adopt the pastime. Its popu-
larity spread south down through the
states of Vermont and Massachusetts
and Connecticut. until now the already
famous clubs of Tuxedo and Orange. in
New Jersey, and the Woodlawn Park
club, at Saratoga, only had number
of minor organizations in the east
while the forming of clubs at St. Paul
and Minneapolis, and the great slides
just erected IN Chicago, have given it an
impetus which promises TO make tobog
gaming as much the national winter
pastime in America as in Canda
New York. though working under
tho disadvantage of having very light
snowfall during the winter months, has
not been inactive. The enthusiasm dis
played by the clubs IN its immediate vi
cinity has not been without its effect
The New York Baseball club has re-
Gently opened two slides on the polo
grounds, at One Hundred and Tenth
street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues,
and it is expected that several clubs
will be formed in this city. The Harlan
Tobboggan club has already organized,